Press.



P. UPHANI.

PRESS,

APPLICATION FILED AuG.I4, Isls.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

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PRESTON UPHAM, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL PAVEMENT CO., OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OE CON- NECTICUT.

PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911i.

Original appli-cation filed. August 24, 1911, Serial No. 645,794. Divided and this application filed August 14, 1916. Serial No. 114,710.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Pnns'roN UPHAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Presses, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a speci"l iication, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

wMy invention, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying dawings and herein described, relates to certain improvements in presses which imn provements possess many features of novelty and invention which are useful either in combination with each other as disclosed, or as used separately in any type of press. One of these features is my pressure oreating and pressure transmission system. Another is my improved construction for operating and timing my mold opening, filling, and closing means. Many other features of novelty will be explained hereinafter.

This application is divisional of my copending application, Serial No. 645,794, filed August 24, 1911.

The drawing shows a diagrammatic view of the press.

ln the embodiment of my invention disclosed in this drawing the driving pulley 1, driven by a belt from any suitable source of power such as a motor, is shown keyed on the shaft 2, to which is keyed the pinion 3. The pinion 3 meshes with the gear 4. keyed on the timing shaft 5. The timing and pressure actuating shaft 5 is provided with a crank 6. A connecting rod 7 connects said crank with a displacing plunger 8 which reciprocates in a part of a chamber 9 of the hydraulic cylinder 10. In lieu of` the crank 6, l may, without departing from the spirit of my invention, use any other suitable pressure actuator, preferably one having a fixed throw, as, for example, an eccentric or cam, altering the connection with the plunger 8 to correspond. rlhe hydraulic cylinder 10 is provided with pressure responsive means herein shown as a ram 11 although a diaphragm may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The receptacle or chamber between the displacing plunger S and the ram 11 is filled with a normally substantially constant body or fixed quantity of liquid which serves to transmit pressure imparted by the displacing plunger to the ram, and also, by reason of the larger surface of the ram serves to increase or multiply the pressure so transmitted. It will be seen that revolution of the timing shaft 5 will produce reciprocation of the ram 11 and that the pressure applied to the displacing plunger 8 will be multiplied when transmitted to the ram 11 in the same ratio as the respective areas of the displacing plunger and ram. In order that excessive resistance to compressive movement of the ram may not stall the timing shaft or break any of the parts, and also to provide a dwell or period of high compression, I have provided automatic pressure determining, or controlling means, which, in the embodiment herein disclosed, comprises a sliding` bed 12 reciprocable on the bed of the press, on which sliding bed is mounted the actuating motor, the shaft 2, the shaft 5 and hence the crank G. Cooperating with this sliding bed is a steam cylinBder 13 provided with'a piston 14 and a piston rod 15 connected to the sliding bed 12 in such a manner that fluid pressure in one end of the cylinder 13 will tend to keep the bed 12 in its position nearest the hydraulic cylinder 1() except when a predetermined resistance to inward motion of the displacing plunger has been reached. This, as may readily be seen, will be reached only when a predetermined resistance is opposed to compressing movement of the ram 11. When this occurs, the displacing plunger 8 will stop its inward stroke and the sliding bed 12 will be forced back by further rotation of the shaft 5 against the pressure of the fluid in the fluid pressure cylinder 18. The before described mechanism constitutes one form of compensating means which compensates the fixed throw pressure actuating system for the normally disproportionately shorter stroke imparted to the material in the mold through the mechanism actuated by the pressure actuating system.

It will be noted that in the embodiment herein described the actuator and its acces.

. my invention.

sories Aare made movable bodily with the sliding bend but it is evident that thesevpartsl The cylinder 10, the displacing plunger8q and the fluid pressure cylinder 13 and theL amount of liquid in the chamber 9 areall so proportioned that the pressure at which the bed begins to move away frointhe cyliii-` der 10 may be normally reached before the displacing plunger 8 reaches the end of its stroke.

The pressure system one form of which is herein disclosed is designed primarily to cooperate with an automatically operating mold, for the compression of blocks, bricks, tiles and the like, made from asphaltic or other plastic material. I have shown in the drawings a mold containing' member 17 having a mold 18 and connected to the hydraulic cylinder 10 by bolts 18, and a plunger 19operable by the rain 11 through the member 192r To fill this mold 18, to cover it when the material therein is being pi'essed'and to uncover it when said mold is being emptied, it is necessary to provide operating means to change the relative position of the mold and mold cover. In the embodiment herein described in which a sliding mold cover is used, I have shown a sliding head'20 containing the fillingneck 21 and the mold cover or pressure receiving block 22.

In the embodiment shown, it is necessary that the sliding head 20 should be automati cally movable into three positions 'respecf tively, for filling as shown in the drawing,

for pressing with the pressur receiving block 22 covering the mold and or ejection with the head removed from over the mold entirely.

In the embodiment herein described, I accomplish this by the use of two fluid pressure cylinders. Ofv these one shown at 2l contains the piston 25 -operating the piston 2.6, the piston 25k having stroke limiting means herein shown as the tail rod 27, the linkz28 and the fixed pin 29 attached to any suitable and convenient support. I may use a crank or any other suitable stroke limiting device without departing from the spirit of Inr the embodiment of my invent-ion shown, the piston rod 26 is not attached-to the-sliding-head but abuts against itt, vAnother fluid pressure cylinder 30 is provided with a piston 31, a-piston rod 32 connected'toithe-fhead, and the tail rod 33 provided with stroke limiting means herein shown'as theV linklv 34 and the fixedfpin 35 attached to any suitable support.

The operation ofxthe headmov-ing meansmay be. timed as follows:

On thetiming shaftv which also operates as the crank f suitable connection, a part of which is shown at 38 and one embodiment of which will hereafter be explained more fully, operates the slide valve 39 in the valve chest lo which controls the inlet and outlet of steam or Huid pressure from the cylinder 2l. Fluid pressure is preferably admitted to one end of this cylinder only. Any suitablel inlet may admit steam to the valve chest l0. and any suitable exhaust port 41 may serve to exhaust steam from the cylinder 24. Another cain or the like on the shaft 5, through any suitable connection, a part of which is shown at 4.3, operates the slide valve 44 in the steam valve chest This slide f'alve l-l controls the admission and exhaust of steam from the opposite ends of the cylinder 30. The exhaust pipe 46 is preferably provided with a safety valve 47 so that when one end of the cylinder is exhausting, a relatively low pressure will still be maintained therein. This serves to maintain a low pressure in the end of the cylinder 30 when the steam pressure in the cylinder 24- is moving th(` sliding head into pressing position and prevents any momentum acting to continue movement of said sliding head after the piston 25 has completed its stroke.

After the compression of the block in the mold and the uncovering of the mold, I provide ejection or mold emptyingmeans preferably operated by Huid pressure. In the embodiment of my invention herein disclosed, I accomplish this by a fiuid pressure operated ejecting cylinder 48 having a piston +18 and the piston rod L18b operating through the connecting rod 49 on the bell crank 50- pivoted on the shaft 51 which operates to lift the member 19n and the philiger 19` to eject the block. The point to which the plunger is to be raised by this fluid pressure cylinder. is determined by any suitable stroke limiting device herein shown as lugs having set screws 52, which may be adjusted to allow the plunger to be elevated to such a height only as to be fiush with the top of the mold containing member 17. Steam is admitted and exhausted from the ejecting cylinder 48 by means of a slide` valve 53 located in any suitable valve chest 54. The slide valve 53 is preferably operated by a cam on the timing shaft In order that the operation-of this cam on the timing shaft 5 may notbe affected by the change of position ofthe timing shaft which takes place when a predetermined pressure on the contents ofthe mold has been reached, I have herein provided a bar 53El positioned above this cam and mounted on guides in such a manner that it willv always remainpaiallel to the plane in which the sliding bed 12 is movable. Springs 53c are provided to keep the bar in its position nearest the timing shaft eX- cept when it is elevated by thefcam acting on its lower surface. lWhen the cam moves this bar the latter remains parallel to the plane in which the sliding bed moves and transmits movement through the connection 53 to the slide valve 53. The connections to the slide valves tl and 39 are preferably of similar design.

The operation of the press is as follows: ln the position shown in. the drawing, the mold has `iust been filled. Fluid pressure is now admitted to the end 57 of the fluid pressure cylinder 2li by movement of the slide valve 39. The pressure in the cylinder 30 being low, mold member .i7 is pushed by the rod 26 until the pin 29 stops the link 2S. As explained before, if desired, a relatively low pressure may be maintained in the cylinder 30 to prevent the momentum of the mold member from carrying it past the desired pressing position. The crank 6 which revolves clockwise now starts the displacing plunger 8 on its inward travel starting the ram l1 on its upward ravel. rThis continues until a predetermined pressure is reached on the contents of the mold, the pressure determining or controlling1 piston lll then responds by receding in its cylinder 13 thus permitting the sliding bed l2 carrying the pressure actuator to recede thus stopping the displacing plunger 8 on its inward stroke yet permitting the -crank G to complete its stroke. lt is manifest, in the embodiment of my iuvention herein shown, that normally from the instant that the resistance to the displacing plunger causes movement of the pressure determining or controlling piston until that piston resumes its starting position, after the crank 6 has made the necessary part of its return stroke, a substantially uniform predetermined pressure will be maintained upon the contents of the mold through the compressing plunger and ram. This pressure will be thus applied for a period which is believed to be approximately twice the length of time that a uniform pressure can be maintained uponany positively actuated hydraulic pressof like capacity of the safety valve, liquid expulsion type. This increased dwell or period during which a high compression is maintained is valuable to effect a more perfect compression of the material in the mold. The pressing operation being completed when the displacing plunger has receded sufficiently to relieve all pressure from the material in the mold, it is necessary to uncover the mold so that the compressed material may be ejected therefrom. To perform this, steam is admitted to the end 58 of the cylinder 30 by moving its slide valve -lll into proper position. This causes 4the head to be moved to its position at the eXtreme right as allowed by the link Se and the pin 35. The mold is now uncovered. The slide valve 53 is now moved to a position such that fluid pressure is admitted to the end 59 of the cylinder d8. This, through the connections before explained, causes the block to be ejected from the mold. Fluid pressure is now admitted by slide valve 4:4 to the end 60 of the cylinder 30. This causes the sliding head to move to the extreme left position allowed by the link 3d and pin 35 in which position the neck 2l registers with the mold 1S, the fluid pressure in the cylinder 24 having lirst been exhausted by the action of the slide valve 39. The fluid pressure is now exhausted from the end 59 of the cylinder 48 and if necessary, other fluid pressure may be admitted to the opposite end of the cylinder lO to assist in allowing the plunger 19 and the member' l a to fall and cause `the mold to be again filled with impressed material from the neck 2l. Any suitable device as shown at 6l may be used to vary the downward stroke of the plungenand hence the amount of material admitted to the mold and the thickness of the resultant block.

As will be readily seen by the construction shown in 'the present embodiment of my invention, the pressure creating means is actuated independently of my mold operating means. By this arrangement, in case of any obstruction to the sliding head. moving or block ejecting means, the pressing power which is very great is not effective to break any of the parts, yet they are all relatively timed together. My hydraulic transmission system obviates the necessity for constantly supplying new liquid as is the case with the usual types of mechanically actuated hydraulic presses which are. supplied with safety valves to permit escape'of the liquid when a predetermined pressure is reached. By my system, the main pressure ram is synchronously responsive to every movement of the displacing plunger which though mechanically actuated may have a variable travel determined bv the resistance opposed thereto.

The construction shown, as before eX- plained, also prolongs the .dwell during which the material is subjected to its maxi-- mum pressure, because the maximum pressure is continued during the stroke of pressure controlling plunger in both directions, normally continuing during a part of the stroke of the crank actuator in both directions. l preferably provide a replenishing pump 62 adapted to yreplace any liquid which may leak or escape from the chamber 9.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, l wish it understood that my invention is not limited to the constructions and combinations herein shown and described but OCI lill@ combination What I desire to claim broadly by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims:

l. A block forming press comprising in combination a fixed abutment, a ram for compressing material against said fixed abutment, a displacing plunger, a substantially fixed quantity of liquid operatively interposed between said displacing plunger and said ram, a crank for imparting reciprocatory movement to said displacing plunger and a motor for said crank, said crank vand said motor being mounted to slide in the direction of reciprocation of said displacing plunger, and yielding means for controlling such sliding movement.

2. A block forming press comprising in combination a fixed abutment, a rotary iixed throw pressure actuator having an axis; pressure transmission and multiplying means to transmit pressure from said actuator to compress material against said abutment; and pressure limiting means providing for relative moving apart of said abutment and said axis.

3. A block forming press comprising in combination a fixed throw pressure actuator operating a liquid displacing plunger having a fixed throw relative to said'actuator, compressing instrumentalities including aram, a chamber containing pressure transmitting and multiplying liquid, an abutment, and means providing for bodily relative movement between said actuator and said compressing instrumentalities.

4. A block forming press comprising in an abutment; a. rotary fixed throw pressure actuator having an axis; pressure transmission and multiplying means to transmit pressure from said actuator to compress material against said abutment; and pressure limiting means to permit relative moving apart v02E said abutment and said axis.

5. A block forming press comprising in combination an actuator and its accessories including a member having a fixed throw; compressing instrumentalities coperating with said actuator, said actuator with its accessories and said coperating compressing instrumentalities having a relative movement bodily one to the other whereby a substantially predetermined pressure may be imparted by said press.

6. A block forming press comprising in combination an actuator and its accessories, compressing instrumentalities coperating with said actuator and its accessories, said actuator and its vaccessories having a bodily movement relatively to said compressing instrumentalities whereby a substantially predetermined pressure may be imparted by said press.

7. An automatic block forming press comprising in combination an actuator and its accessories including an operating member' having a fixed throw; compressing instrumentalities coperating with said actuator and its accessories, said actuator and its accessories having a bodily movement relative to said compressing instrumentalitics whereby a substantially predetermined pressure may be imparted by said press.

8. A block forming press comprising in combination an actuator; a ram; liquid power transmission means; and a mechanically actuated displacing plunger having aI fixed range of movement relatively to said actuator and a variable range of movement relatively to said liquid.

9. A block forming press comprising in combination an actuator; a ram; a mechanically actuated displacing plunger having a variable travel relatively to said liquid and determined by the resistance opposed thereto; a receptacle containing a substantially constant body and fixed quantity of pressure transmitting and multiplying liquid interposed between said displacing plunger' and said ram whereby said ram may be synchonously responsive to every movement of said displacing plunger.

l0. A block forming hydraulic press comprising in combination displacing means; responsive means; a chamber containing a substantially fixed amount of pressure transmission liquid, a mechanical actuator for said displacing means; and compensating means operatively behind said actuator.

l1. A block forming hydraulic press comprising in combination compensative displacing means; a ram; a substantially fixed quantity of pressure transmission liquid intermediate said displacing means and said ram; and a fixed throw pressure actuator for said displacing means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication.

PRESTON UPHAM.

Genies nf this patent mav be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

